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Abstract <p>Abri du Maras (Ardèche, France), located on the southeastern margins of the Massif Central, yields a long sequence of occupation from MIS 7 to MIS 3, first under a cave and then under a shelter resulting from the cave collapse. Middle Palaeolithic assemblages record different technological traditions of human groups regularly and recurrently occupying the site. Dental mesowear and low-magnification microwear are combined to reconstruct ungulate diets and occupation tempo through the Abri du Maras sequence (MIS 5: Layers 5.1–5.3; MIS 3: Layers 4.1–4.2). Mesowear captures annual dietary abrasiveness, while microwear records individual short-term intake and, for assemblages, the duration of faunal accumulation events. Across levels, <i>Equus ferus</i> persistently expresses a grazing signal (high MWS; high scratch counts). In Level 4.2, <i>Cervus elaphus</i> exhibits a clear browsing signal (low MWS; high pit counts), <i>Megaloceros giganteus</i> a browse-dominated mixed-feeding pattern with some divergence between mesowear and microwear results, and <i>Rangifer tarandus</i> a flexible mixed-feeding strategy with limited evidence for lichen consumption. Bovids present grass-dominated mixed feeding. Community-level dietary breadth peaks in 4.2, consistent with a local mosaic of open grassland and browse-rich patches; other levels skew toward more open, abrasive contexts. Microwear variability classifies multiple horse and deer (and bovid in 4.2) assemblages as seasonal events, while some MIS 5 reindeer samples indicate longer or repeated inputs. Patterns at Abri du Maras are similar to other Middle Palaeolithic Mediterranean sequences (e.g., Teixoneres Cave, Abric Romaní, Payre, De Nadale/San Bernardino, Fumane), where equids and bovids occupied open-ground niches and cervids occupied browse-dominated habitats. Overall, the results indicate that Abri du Maras functioned over time as a seasonal campsite, repeatedly reoccupied to exploit predictable prey across shifting open–ecotone landscapes, regardless of the technological tradition of the human groups and the duration of the occupations.</p>

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Ungulate feeding ecology at Abri du Maras reveals diverse habitats and seasonally targeted Neanderthal occupations (MIS 5–3)

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月25日

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  • Florent Rivals,
  • Nicolas Boulbes,
  • Nicolas Lateur,
  • Pierre Magniez,
  • Juan Marín,
  • Marie-Hélène Moncel

摘要

Abstract

Abri du Maras (Ardèche, France), located on the southeastern margins of the Massif Central, yields a long sequence of occupation from MIS 7 to MIS 3, first under a cave and then under a shelter resulting from the cave collapse. Middle Palaeolithic assemblages record different technological traditions of human groups regularly and recurrently occupying the site. Dental mesowear and low-magnification microwear are combined to reconstruct ungulate diets and occupation tempo through the Abri du Maras sequence (MIS 5: Layers 5.1–5.3; MIS 3: Layers 4.1–4.2). Mesowear captures annual dietary abrasiveness, while microwear records individual short-term intake and, for assemblages, the duration of faunal accumulation events. Across levels, Equus ferus persistently expresses a grazing signal (high MWS; high scratch counts). In Level 4.2, Cervus elaphus exhibits a clear browsing signal (low MWS; high pit counts), Megaloceros giganteus a browse-dominated mixed-feeding pattern with some divergence between mesowear and microwear results, and Rangifer tarandus a flexible mixed-feeding strategy with limited evidence for lichen consumption. Bovids present grass-dominated mixed feeding. Community-level dietary breadth peaks in 4.2, consistent with a local mosaic of open grassland and browse-rich patches; other levels skew toward more open, abrasive contexts. Microwear variability classifies multiple horse and deer (and bovid in 4.2) assemblages as seasonal events, while some MIS 5 reindeer samples indicate longer or repeated inputs. Patterns at Abri du Maras are similar to other Middle Palaeolithic Mediterranean sequences (e.g., Teixoneres Cave, Abric Romaní, Payre, De Nadale/San Bernardino, Fumane), where equids and bovids occupied open-ground niches and cervids occupied browse-dominated habitats. Overall, the results indicate that Abri du Maras functioned over time as a seasonal campsite, repeatedly reoccupied to exploit predictable prey across shifting open–ecotone landscapes, regardless of the technological tradition of the human groups and the duration of the occupations.